GORHAM – Brian LaBonte sat in his motorized wheelchair in front of a rowdy crowd of more than 200 people last month and belted out his final karaoke performance to “Born to Be Wild.”
The event, dubbed a “croaking party,” was held March 13 at the Portland Eagles Club to honor and celebrate Mr. LaBonte, who died on Thursday. He was 49.
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A video clip on YouTube shows his family and closest friends surrounding the stage, singing the lyrics along with him. Some people sing into their beer bottles, and others edge closer and kneel down to sing in front of him. With a giant smile and a scratchy voice he sings:
Like a true nature’s child,
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never want to die
Born to be wild
Born to be wild.
Mr. LaBonte raised his cane in the air and the crowd erupted in cheers.
“It was incredible,” said his sister Patty LaBonte of South Portland. “It was absolutely incredible. Brian was astonished at the turnout.”
Mr. LaBonte grew up in South Portland, the oldest of eight children. He graduated from Portland High School in 1982.
He was a skilled welder, iron worker and fabricator. He worked for Wireless Construction of Standish for the past few years, climbing the company’s wireless towers throughout New England.
“He always told me it was the best job he ever had,” said Michael Sullivan, president of the company. “He loved the exhilaration of working two, three and 400 feet in the air every day.”
In January, Mr. LaBonte was diagnosed with stage four cancer in his liver, lungs and bones. His sister said the diagnosis stunned him and the family.
“He didn’t want to die,” she said. “He fought this to the bitter end. He had a lot to live for. … He had too many things going on, and he wanted to ride his motorcycle more.”
Mr. LaBonte was the husband of Maria LaBonte of Gorham. In addition to his wife, he leaves a daughter, Jessica Wilson of Gorham, and three stepchildren.
Just before he died, Mr. LaBonte learned that his daughter, who is pregnant, will have a girl.
He was remembered by his family on Friday as a happy and outgoing guy who had a passion for life and lived it to the fullest.
“Brian was probably the happiest guy you could ever meet in your life,” his sister said. “He always had a smile on his face. He had a beautiful smile. … He was a charmer. He had this way about him that people connected to on many levels.”
Mr. LaBonte was described by many of his friends in the March video as loyal, generous and caring. His sister said he showed up for friends and family members who needed help with projects like repairing a roof or building a deck.
“He was always there when someone needed a hand,” she said. “It was important to him to have his tools ready to go and be available to people who needed help.”
Mr. LaBonte had a passion for singing karaoke and riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
His sister, who enjoyed riding with him, said she will lead the pack of motorcyclists who gather for his funeral at Hobbs Funeral Home in South Portland on Tuesday morning.
Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:
mcreamer@pressherald.com
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